Saturday, March 17, 2007

Saturday Surprise - It's St Patrick's Day!!!!!!

Yes - It's time to for all of us in the pink to don the green asTrish Wylietells us all about St. Patrick's Day here atThe Pink Heart Society...

Oh and AS IF anyone else was gonna get to blog here today... So are you wearing something green??? If not I'm not entirely sure you're entering into the spirit of things... So let's see what I can tell you about St. Patrick's Day to get you to join the rest of the world as we celebrate all things Irish!

Shall we look at the man himself to begin with? Seems only fair, what with it being his day and all...

Saint Patrick: (Naomh Pádraig) was a Christian Missionary and is regarded a Patron Saint of Ireland along with Brigid of Kildare and Columba. Patrick was born in Britain and was about sixteen when he was captured by Irish raiders and taken as a slave to Ireland, where he lived for six years before escaping and returning to his family. He entered the church, as his father and grandfather had before him, becoming a deacon and a bishop. He then later returned to Ireland as a missionary, working in the north and west of the island, and by using Monasteries as the center for his missionary work had great success in the conversion of Ireland. By the seventh century he had become a patron saint of Ireland, and the foundations of Irish Christianity were attributed largely to him.

Now he's maybe best known for driving the snakes from Ireland. And it is true there aren't any snakes in Ireland, but, to be honest, there probably never have been - the island was separated from the rest of the continent at the end of the Ice Age. (sorry) You see, as in many old pagan religions, serpent symbols were common and often worshipped. Driving the snakes from Ireland was probably symbolic of putting an end to that pagan practice. While not the first to bring christianity to Ireland, it is Patrick who is said to have encountered the Druids at Tara and abolished those self same pagan rites. The story holds that he converted the warrior chiefs and princes, baptizing them and thousands of their subjects in the "Holy Wells" that still bear this name.

So why St Patrick’s Day??? Weeelllll, it’s not just for the drinking! No – really it’s not! Like all things Irish there’s a touch of history to the whole thing…

Now tis true the day has come to be associated with everything Irish: anything green and gold, shamrocks and good luck - oh and fully grown men dressed as leprechauns... But most importantly, to those who celebrate its intended meaning, St. Patrick's Day is a traditional day for spiritual renewal and offering prayers for missionaries worldwide.

So, why is it celebrated on March 17th? One theory is that it's the day that St. Patrick died. A little bit of Irish history. And since the holiday began in Ireland, it is believed that as the Irish spread out around the world, they took with them their history and celebrations - celebrating their heritage and general Irishness - which is where the drinking part probably kicked in. The biggest observance of all is, of course, in Ireland. With the exception of restaurants and pubs, almost all businesses close on March 17th. In American cities with a large Irish population, St. Patrick's Day is a very big deal, I’m told. Big cities and small towns alike celebrate with parades, "wearing of the green," music and songs, Irish food and drink, and activities for kids such as crafts, coloring and games. Some communities even go so far as to dye rivers or streams green!!!!

Which seems like an awful lot of work when you could be in the pub if you ask me…

So how do you join the party? Well, you can of course just don something green and a sprig of shamrock, or you can go as far as a huge party at one of the parades held world-wide... But how about a wee recipe or a nice Irish coffee or a little investigation online to see if your family name is attached to this little island I call home...?

And d'you know - I'm that helpful I'll even give you a hand... If you pop over to My Blogtoday you'll find a nice foolproof method for making an Irish Coffee and a bit of a recipe to try out... AND a nice St Patrick's Day e-card link for all my friends and readers... How good am I???

Meanwhile I'll leave you with a traditional Irish toast:

May your glass be ever full...May the roof over your head be always strong... And may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead.

And a little virtual trip to tempt you to come visit as soon as you can manage it...

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!!!!!!!

Trish, whose full name Patricia is of course the female version of St. Patrick's (though obviously that still doesn't make her a saint) sets all of her books in Ireland. This month she has a Sexy Sensation out in Australia and New Zealand. Breathless! is one of her favourite books to date and was recently reviewed at The Pink Heart Society Review Blog...

To find out more about what Trish is up to and for book releases and competitions you can visit her new Website or Her Blog

Happy St. Patrick's Day! A beautiful post Trish, and the video was gorgeous!

I can't believe that Ireland is one of the places I've yet to visit (I've apparently got a tinsy bit of Irish blood in me too). Gray has fond memories of visiting Ireland as a child and he's promised that he'll bring me over for a holiday in the next year or two.

SUE! If you guys come visit and don't meet up with me you do know I shall HUFF???!!!!

Jenna - I can't speak for the other four million people in Ireland obviously... but from my point of view... the air in my mouth would taste better... ;) I believe it's more of an Americanism these days...

I'd heard that it was something we invented...not sure why we'd invent something so vile...

Must say...BigBoy had to build a leprechan trap for his Kinder class...SO fun! Really got the kids excited :) The girls who take Irish dance did an impromptu performance that was scattered, but adorable.